Remember the Hero
by LavenderIceCream
Summary: (prediction for Chapter 191; SPOILERS up to then) Someone approaches Endeavor and Hawks and calls together a gathering for the final death of a hero. But not for the one you would expect. This is my prediction on what the next (few?) chapters of the manga will be, and also how I view the Dabi Todoroki theory. Faint TodoDeku, rated for some violence.


A/N: Hello! This is my contribution to TodoDeku week 2018 day 4: endearments. It's not as shippy as I would have maybe liked it, but also I just read the latest chapter and got too Shook to even think of writing anything else haha. Anyway, I hope you like it!

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"Wait who- who is that?! A newcomer has just arrived on the scene!"

The view on the TV shook and blinked. Tokoyami looked up as the others gathered around the crouched Todoroki. He peered closer.

"Isn't that… one of the people we fought… at the summer camp? With blue flames?"

What…?

Everyone, even Aizawa, froze. Todoroki felt his heart stop and he couldn't raise his gaze. His eyes bore into the flooring with a stare hard enough to drill through it. Midoriya placed a hand lightly on the boy's shoulder but he didn't seem to notice.

"You're right… the fellow called Dabi I think," Yaoyorozu murmured thoughtfully. Aizawa narrowed his eyes.

Ochako shivered. "Does this mean…?" The unsaid question hung in the air. Kirishima drew back his lips and Sero's face alternated between shades of sick yellow and vivid green.

League of Villains...

"What is someone who is not a hero doing here?!" The reporter continued to comment anxiously. She was crouching behind some fallen rubble, peering over at the scene. On the flickering screen, a slender figure stalked into the surrounding dust. "Oh no, we can't see him anymore; perhaps some nearby heroes can come-Aaaah!"

The room fell deathly silent as a bloodcurdling scream split through the speakers. The camera spun dizzyingly before crunching onto the ground, the view upside down. Bright blue embers flickered in the corner before a shadow suddenly crossed it.

Midoriya bit down a yelp as the camera righted itself and Dabi stared straight in. Midoriya's eyes flocked toward Todoroki. He was on his hands, his head directly facing the screen, stockstill. Midoriya felt the other boy start to uncharacteristically shake violently beneath his hand, and his own heart twisted.

Dabi stared a moment longer before slowly raising four fingers. The corners of his stitched mouth twitched.

The screen became pitch-black.

The room was so still, the air so thick, that Midoriya could physically feel the weight of everyone's fear. He tried to swallow before realizing just how much his own body was shaking.

And just how still Todoroki was.

Four fingers… who-

But before Midoriya could move, Todoroki shot up to his feet. Midoriya nearly fell backward, and everyone snapped towards the fire-ice user.

"Don't… don't follow me."

He leapt towards the door. Aizawa, the first one able to react, yelled, "Not so fast!" and made to spun around before staring downward in surprise.

Midoriya gasped as he saw the entire floor iced smoothly up to several inches. And in the moment of surprise, the door slammed shut and Aizawa spat out a colorful curse.

Endeavor gritted his teeth, his body shuddering involuntarily as pain spiked everywhere through his body. He could barely hiss, "Who?"

Dabi gave a sly leer which was quickly wiped away as Hawks staggered in front of Endeavor.

"You… You're a member of the League, aren't you."

"Yeah, that's right." Dabi made a casual shooing motion. "Get out of the way, you can't even use any of your feathers anymore."

Hawks gritted his teeth. "Why are you targeting Endeavor, I doubt he can use his fla-" His words were lost as a maelstrom of bright blue blasted where he stood.

"Hawks!" Endeavor yelled, tottering forward. His heavy boots caught on a block of concrete and the large man skidded to his knees. It took a while before he could make out sharp screeches of pain through the roaring fires.

"Hmph. What a shoddy attempt at buying time." Dabi flicked his wrist and the flames snapped away into the air. Endeavor stared in stunned silence as Hawks tumbled to the ground, his entire body charred and giving off smoke that smelled of burnt flesh. Endeavor felt bile rising up his throat for the first time in decades.

Dabi watched in amusement as Endeavor weakly crawled forward. "Hawks! Hawks, you damn brat, what's that pathetic slump, straighten up! Look me in the eyes!" His voice edged into desperation at the end.

"Funny, is he more of a son than your real son?" Endeavor continued to feebly shake Hawks, waving off the smoke that wouldn't stop running off in waves. "Isn't it fitting, to give a cremation? As your son?"

Endeavor's hands stopped. Dabi cocked his head.

"You… you're supposed to be dead." He turned his face, meeting Dabi's eyes for the first time. A muddle of emotions clouded his gaze. "You ran away. They told me they found your body next to the highway-"

Dabi replied softly, "You should make sure to finish off cremations, father." He raised his hand and, Endeavor thought dimly, This must be my due. He closed his eyes.

"You piece of shit, didn't you tell me to watch you?!"

A wall of ice roared into existence. Endeavor's eyes snapped open. He slowly turned his head.

Todoroki stood with his hands on his knees, panting hard. But he managed to fix Endeavor a glare. A trail of sparkling ice from his left foot lead up to the wall before him.

"Shouto!" Todoroki and Endeavor both turned to the side as Fuyumi and Natsuo raced towards them.

"Shouto, are you okay?" Todoroki nodded before blinking as his sister grabbed him in a tight embrace.

"I'm fine. But… " As Fuyumi let go of him, Todoroki stared at Natsuo behind her. The white-haired boy's gaze was fixed to the person before him.

"'Dabi'... Is that the name you go by now," Natsuo said tightly. Fuyumi's eyes switched back and forth between the two. She gripped her hands together in fists, and her hands were transforming into a bruised blue.

"... Natsuo." Dabi turned towards Fuyumi, who flinched. "Ane-ue." He finally shifted his eyes towards Todoroki. They narrowed into slits. "And… you."

Endeavor spat. "Get away, you ghost." He gave Dabi a baleful eye. "You're not part of this family-"

"What, like you are?" Natsuo hissed and Endeavor winced. "Stop acting like you're on a high horse; everyone else in Japan might think you can replace All Might but we here know what you really are!"

"Natsuo!" Fuyumi yelled. Todoroki stared in silence, his tongue tied. He could feel both of his shoulders twitching uncomfortably, his body starting to seesaw between two temperature extremes.

"Natsuo, I know that what, what happened to Mother-"

"God, could you shut up Fuyumi!" Fuyumi froze, her eyes shining with fresh pain. Todoroki felt his jaw drop even as Natsuo shook his head vigorously. "I mean- it's just, you always cover up for that bastard, saying we should forgive him but, but, how?! How do you forgive this man who just kept pumping babies out of his wife to get the perfect Quirk combination?"

Todoroki felt sick to the stomach.

"And-" Natsuo made to say more when Dabi stepped forward and lightly touched his shoulder. Natsuo swallowed, hard, but kept a hard stare on the kneeling Endeavor.

"Natsuo… you're just the same as me. Even if I took the flames and you took the ice… See. We're both the same." Dabi gently bumped shoulders. "Same pain, same date of birth. We're twins, after all."

"Fraternal," Natsuo supplied automatically before blinking in surprise at his own word.

"Really, you haven't changed. You always said that, making sure that no one would ever mistake us for each other. Each our own individual." Dabi's face almost neutral. Todoroki thought he saw a flash of something in his eyes that was quickly hidden away. "I was always glad that you did. Since… we were all the same to Endeavor." Dabi half-turned and nodded at Fuyumi.

Fuyumi narrowed her eyes. "I've heard about you… Dabi. You're… you're a criminal now. We thought you'd died."

Dabi stared up at the cloudy sky, the debris and smoke rising up in giant columns. "I thought you would be happier then to see me alive? Ane-ue."

Fuyumi closed her eyes. "Natsuo. Natsuo, let's go. We have to take Father and Hawks to the hospital. We-"

"You should go. By yourself."

Fuyumi's breath quickened. "Natsuo," she began, her voice starting to shake. "Natsuo, listen, we have to go, we have to help them-"

"No. No, I can't, I can't do this anymore Fuyumi." Natsuo glared into his hands. "I can't save Endeavor. I can't. After what he's done to us. To Shouto. To Mother. And to… to Dabi. What he did to Dabi." He looked away, disgust filling his eyes.

"... Fine."

What? Todoroki spun around to face his sister. "No-"

"Shouto." Todoroki's mouth zipped shut as Fuyumi stared at Natsuo, her gaze glinting and steely. "It doesn't matter what I say anymore, he's not going to be convinced."

"No- Natsuo!" Todoroki turned towards his older brother, but Natsuo had already looked away.

This can't be real. This can't be happening- Todoroki whipped his gaze towards Endeavor. That's right, Father wouldn't let Dabi or Natsuo get off without punishing them-

Todoroki stopped as he saw Endeavor lying on the ground, his breath coming in and out, shallow. And at that moment, it hit him.

"You… you sent that Nomu. To kill him," Todoroki said in awe, looking up at Dabi.

"That's right."

"Fuyumi, if you're going to save him, then hurry up." Natsuo glared at her and she spat back, "Wow, doesn't it sound like you care."

"As if-"

Dabi's hand glowed again and before anyone could react, blue flames erupted onto where Nasuo was standing.

Todoroki felt numb. He absently touched his ears, wondering why they felt like the depths of them were ringing when he realized it was Fuyumi's screams.

"Natsuo! Natsuo! Natsuo!" She jumped forward and it took all of Todoroki's strength to drag her back. "Let me go Shouto, let me go, Natsuo he's-! Natsuo, he's burning, he's burning Shouto, he-!" She staggered to the ground, Todoroki holding her as she sobbed Natsuo's name over and over again like a funeral sutra.

What… is this. This isn't real, this is a nightmare. Hurry up, someone, wake me up. Wake me up from this nightmare, help, someone help, someone please help-

The flames turned off. Dabi crossed his arms. "Natsuo, you're as weak as I thought. At least Ane-ue has some backbone; you can't even choose which side-" He suddenly leaned forward, peering.

"To-Todoroki-kun!"

Todoroki turned to the side away from his sister and promptly retched. His shoulders shuddered, and he felt chills race up and down his entire body.

"Todo… roki… kun?"

When he managed to look up, a familiar pair of eyes met him. Todoroki distantly could feel that he was losing himself in the newleaf green shimmer. "Midori...ya?"

Todoroki could barely hear Midoriya reply, "Your brother Natsuo- I saved him in the nick of time but I think he fainted. I laid him down. Also, you, uh. Vomited. Do you still feel sick?"

Natsuo. He saved Natsuo.

Natsuo didn't get burned.

Todoroki felt himself shoved aside as Fuyumi scrambled to her feet and launched herself at Natsuo, lying a few feet away. She buried her face in his sports jackets, her shoulders heaving. His clothing smoked lightly.

I couldn't… I couldn't even move.

What if… What if Natsuo died?

Midoriya opened his mouth when another ball of blue fire launched itself towards them. This time, Todoroki jerked his hand out and the fire crashed into a wall of ice. The two melted away at once.

"Damn, all I wanted to do was just kill Endeavor." Dabi boredly flicked at his fingers.

"You've no right!" Midoriya shouted hotly. Dabi raised an eyebrow.

"What do you know? You weren't there when he burned my whole face because I wasn't a good enough successor for him. You're not even a part of this family."

Todoroki's eyes widened. Dabi noticed Todoroki and gave a short laugh. "What, you thought these were because of League of Villains? I already looked like a villain before I was 'killed'."

"... Why did you go. Why did you fake your death."

Dabi shrugged. "Did you know that Endeavor was scared of me? That I would grow too strong?"

"He would never," Todoroki growled. Dabi gave a crooked smile.

"Oh yes he would. Especially when he saw me watching All Might on TV. When I said that All Might wasn't too bad, that he was good, even."

Todoroki felt a shiver run down his spine.

'Mother, can we watch the news again? The channel with All Might?'

'I… yes. Yes dear, of course. When your Father is gone…'

Dabi gave an experimental snap. He smirked as Fuyumi flinched at the noise before turning back to Todoroki. "And we all know what he does to bad pawns. Like Mother. And… you."

"If you look up to All Might, then, then… then how could you do this?!" Midoriya swept a hand across the collapsed buildings and heaps of rubble. "This isn't right, people got hurt!"

Todoroki tensed as Dabi's eyes flashed but they locked eyes. Midoriya froze, his eyes darting between the two. Dabi relaxed his hands slightly and Todoroki felt his shoulders sag a bit.

"Shouto, control your pet a bit more. It keeps on saying things that get on my nerve."

Todoroki swallowed. I don't know if I can fend off his flames if he comes at me full blast… But I guess he also knows that I can cancel at least some of it with my ice.

A standstill.

"... what do you want," Todoroki growled.

Dabi pointed at the large bulk near them. "That."

Todoroki gritted his teeth. "And… you'll let us all go if… "

Fuyumi's head jerked upward. Her eyes were wide. "No! No, we can't, we can't leave them here!" She tried to stand to her feet but her knees were too wobbly and she ended up sitting, helplessly watching.

Dabi lazily turned his head up. "Sure. If that's what you want."

"'Want'?" Midoriya couldn't help saying.

"Oh yes. Shouto," Dabi said, giving a sly look. Todoroki felt his stomach churn. "You do realize: if you let Endeavor and Hawks here, they'll die."

When Todoroki didn't respond, Dabi added, "You can't be a hero if you willingly let two injured people die. Including your own father. Won't your morals be put into question?"

"Da-!" Midoriya choked. "There, there's no way-"

"Dabi."

Midoriya froze. He stared at the boy next to him. "... You want something else," he said, more a statement than a question.

"Correct." Dabi cracked his neck.

"I want you and your Quirks."

The ground slid under from Midoriya's feet and his knees buckled. He managed to stay upright through sheer willpower alone.

"To… Todoroki-kun, please don't tell me… "

Todoroki stared straight ahead. "What makes you think I'll join you."

"Well, you seemed pretty convinced by Natsuo earlier, weren't you."

This bastard, he used Natsuo's emotions to target me-

"Shouto, not you too…!" Fuyumi cursed at her legs as she struggled to stand.

'Pump babies out'

"That's ridiculous, Todoroki-kun would never-!"

'We all know what he does to bad pawns.'

"To… Todoroki-kun-?"

'Your right side is so hideous to me.'

Aren't mothers supposed to love their children unconditionally?

But I guess, anyone would go insane in that household.

Fuyumi saw the shadow cross his face. "Sh-! Shouto, no! You saw what he did to Natsuo-"

'What's more important than Quirks… Are how they are used! For their purpose! And that's why I always say… '

"Todoroki-kun!"

Todoroki finally blinked and faced the green-haired boy beside him. He stared back, eyes wide and frantic. "Todoroki-kun," he repeated, more slowly this time. Those shimmering eyes darted all across his face.

'It's your power, isn't it?!'

'I am here!'

"... Midoriya."

Midoriya felt his breath stolen away as Todoroki gave the tiniest smile, just a bare hint of it on his cheeks. His stomach dropped queasily.

Oh no. I have a bad feeling about this. Oh no no no no-

Todoroki suddenly leaned forward. Midoriya's heart skittered as a sweet breath murmured

"Don't forget 'me'."

And suddenly Midoriya felt the wind punched out of his gut. A blast of freezing cold slammed into him and shoved him against a wall.

"Urg!"

Todoroki turned towards Dabi. He caught Fuyumi looking at him, her face stricken.

"Am I good enough. I think the League of Villains… could be helpful."

Dabi narrowed his eyes. "You expect me to believe you just suddenly switched sides? Just because I said so?"

Todoroki briefly closed his eyes. He dredged up that fury, the clawing pain that had eaten him inside right up until the Sports Festival. He opened his eyes again.

Dabi took one look and nodded slowly.

"Natsuo… he could never get those eyes. He was always too forgiving, never strong enough to deal the final blow. You know why I had to burn him, right?"

"He was a weak link," Todoroki replied, although his eyes saw another flash of something in Dabi's eyes.

"That's right. That's right, a weak link. I had to do it." He nodded to himself, and Todoroki thought, He must have been close to Natsuo.

"Anyway, for Endeavor-" The two turned around towards the rubble.

It was empty.

The two didn't say anything as the wind buffeted harder on them. A helicopter chopper whipped distantly above them. Acrid dust and smoke continued to waft through the air, coating Todoroki's tongue with a thin layer.

"... Know that that was a high price to pay." Dabi leaped down towards an alleyway. He motioned for Todoroki to follow.

"I'm surprised you kept it." Todoroki slid down on a sheen of ice. He padded behind as Dabi started forward, his jet black hair melting into the darkness.

"Me too." He stopped but didn't turn around. Todoroki stopped a few feet behind him.

"You know what'll happen if you betray the League of Villains don't you."

Todoroki closed his eyes.

Please remember the me who just wanted to be a hero.

I just… I wanted to save people.

Midoriya… I…

"Of course."

Become the top hero.

Don't let them win.

They began walking again into the dark alley, until even Todoroki's shock of white hair faded, first to gray, and then to black.


End file.
